Exciting news! Trading Pokemon with friends is coming!

We know it's been rumored forever, but Niantic CEO John Hanke just confirmed that trading is in development! ????

Unfortunately, there's no ETA at this time. But isn't it enough to know that it's coming?

Hanke confirmed a few other key #PokemonGO things in interview with tech journo Kara Swisher on the Recode Decode podcast. There's no ETA on any of this, either. However, as with trading, it's still great to know that Niantic is working to bring new features that players really want! (Gamers can be patient if we know something good is on its way. Sometimes.)

* Battling is also in development. The current gym battle system works fine if you're in a well populated area, but what if you're out in the middle of nowhere? This will be a great way to let you level up with your local friends no matter where you are.

* We might see Niantic-organized Pokemon GO events in the future. For those of you familiar with another Niantic mobile game called Ingress, events are part of the global appeal of the game.

In Pokemon GO, once you pass Level 5, you have to choose your team. So far, team colors matter a lot for gym takedowns and training, but don't really affect you if you're the kind of player who's out to fill up your Pokedex instead of battling all the time and holding gyms in your area.

There's talk about this being a great place to introduce some of the legendary Pokemon that players have been hankering for since the game was released, but Hanke neither confirmed nor denied that this could happen.

For all this and more, including some interesting insights into the progression from Google Maps (in which Hanke was a key developer) to Niantic's Field Trip, Ingress, and Pokemon GO games, check out the full episode of Recode Decode in your favorite podcast app here: